Tradition
by LaPaige
Summary: Because New Year's Eve without Shane was no New Year's at all. Happy Birthday Sophie!


**It's a Smitchie, and it's for my FFBFF Sophie, whose BIRTHDAY IS TODAY! Our birthdays are exactly a month apart (my birthday was last month, haha), and we were born a year apart so it's pretty awesome! I've been writing this for about a month, editing and adding to it as much as I could so that it was the best I could make it. I hope you like this Sophie, and have an awesome thirteenth birthday! **

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News Years Eve was not something Mitchie Torres was looking forward to. Normally she'd be excited, counting down the days as soon as Christmas was over (before, even), but this year it was different. This year she didn't have Shane. For the past five years they had spent New Years Eve together. It was their tradition.

But this year, he wasn't going to be there. This year she wasn't going to wish him happy New Year, and she wasn't going to kiss him when it came to midnight. They wouldn't watch the fireworks, or smile happily at each other. Because this year they weren't together. This year they weren't even _friends._ And it was all because of her.

_She_ was the one who had suggested they take a break. _She_ was the one who had thought she was in love with Nate. _She _was the one who had told Nate that she was in love with him and _Shane _was the one who was heartbroken when he walked in on Nate and Mitchie (even though they'd already broken up).

It turned out she didn't love Nate. Six months after her break up with him she still hadn't figured out why she'd broken up with Shane for his bandmate. Maybe it took their break up to realise that she loved him. How ridiculous was that? As soon as she'd kissed Nate she realised it. There weren't any sparks, she didn't feel giddy and her heart didn't thud in her chest – yet all three of these happened when she was in a room with Shane, let alone kissing him.

She'd tried – for a month she hoped that the next kiss would be perfect, or that when he next smiled at her she'd feel something. It never happened. She loved Nate as a friend, not a boyfriend. When they broke up Nate knew why. He had been trying too – for a month hehad hoped that Mitchie would fall for him like she had fallen for Shane. When she confessed to loving him, not Shane, he hadn't quite believed it. He shouldn't have believed it. It had just resulted in heartbreak – for both Shane and himself. He didn't blame Mitchie though – he _couldn't _blame Mitchie. Then he met up with Caitlyn again, and suddenly it wasn't so bad anymore.

But Mitchie didn't 'meet up' with anyone. She didn't hear from Shane again (unless it was on the radio or on the television). She stayed close friends with Nate in the next few months (she had never forgiven herself for causing him the pain she did), and she was friends with Jason too, but Shane never even said hello to her. It was her fault though, so she didn't blame him. She _couldn't _blame him.

Mitchie looked over the balcony of the hotel room she was staying in, staring at the sky. Ten minutes to go until 2013. Her first New Year's Eve without Shane. She knew it was stupid, but she felt that, after all she'd done to him, they would still meet up again one day and he'd confess he still loved her, and they'd get married and have children. It would never happen, but it comforted her. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't move on.

For a few moments Mitchie hated the perfect couples – the ones that would be spending New Year's Eve together, as well as the rest of their lives. How come they got their happy ending and she didn't? Just because she'd broken two hearts in the space of a few years.

Okay, maybe that was a good reason. But she hadn't meant to do so. She wasn't like Tess Tyler – Shane had been her first boyfriend, and she had never thought of cheating on him once. She broke up with him way before she confessed to Nate, and she'd felt guilty about it ever since. Every time Nate smiled at Caitlyn, or Jason kissed Ella, Mitchie looked away. She wasn't jealous of Caitlyn or Ella – she was jealous of their happiness.

Every time she saw Shane she told herself this was it – she'd say hello to him, try and have a conversation, but at the last second she turned and hurried away before he saw her. And now this was her first New Year without him.

And in exactly seven minutes it would be 2013 – her first whole year without him.

The silence was broken by the sound of Mitchie's ringtone - Gotta Find You. She was too scared to change it, as if doing that would certainly mean the end of her relationship with Shane, even though it was already well and truly over.

"Hello?" She answered - her voice quiet. She knew it was stupid, but she couldn't help but hope it would be Shane.

It wasn't, of course. She was stupid to even think there was a chance.

"Hey, Mitch." Caitlyn. Mitchie smiled softly. Her best friend knew she'd be feeling down about New Year without Shane.

"Caitlyn! Where are you?" Mitchie faked enthusiasm, not wanting to tell her friend that she wasn't in the mood to talk.

"More important question is are you feeling alright?" Caitlyn asked, her voice concerned.

"I'm fine. Or I will be. I'm going to go to bed soon anyway." Mitchie didn't want sympathy – she just wanted to be left alone.

"Are you sure you don't want me and Nate to come over? Jason and Ella are free too!" Caitlyn knew it was a lost cause – Mitchie would say no to any invitation.

"No thanks, I'm really tired. Maybe tomorrow." Sure enough Mitchie declined, and with a goodbye and a promise to call in the morning Caitlyn hung up, wishing her best friend well.

Heading back inside Mitchie wrapped her dressing gown tighter around herself – setting her phone on the table and sitting on the coach. Two minutes to go.

She was about to drop off to sleep when she heard footsteps on the stairs. Jolted from her almost-sleep she looked at the clock – one minute to go. She listened to the footsteps, her eyes widening with fear when they stopped outside her door. Slowly she grabbed the tennis racquet she hadn't used in years (she had it there for safety – no matter how many times Caitlyn laughed at her).

There was a knock on her door as she stood up, shaking slightly. Who was at her door?

"Mitchie? It's Shane."

Mitchie dropped the tennis racquet in shock at his voice. It had been eleven months and three days (not that she was counting) since they'd last talked, and hearing him again just made memories wash over her.

"Mitchie please open the door and I'll explain."

Mitchie couldn't find her voice. Now she was shaking for an entirely different reason.

"Okay, I knew it would hurt you too much and I'm sorry for that. I'll leave and-"

"NO!" Mitchie cried on the other side of the door, running the few steps it took and flinging the door open. There – standing with a shocked look on his face, stood Shane.

His image, standing at her door like this, made her think she was dreaming. Maybe she was, but right now she didn't care. It was 2013 – the fireworks were going off everywhere, yet Mitchie and Shane were silent as they stared at each other.

"Mitchie." Shane breathed, his eyes filled with sadness, loss and regret.

"I'm so sorry." They both chorused at exactly that same time.

Both of them smiled sadly, realising they were still connected in some way – even after all those months of torment suffered by both of them.

"Shane, why did you come here?" Mitchie finally asked – sadness engulfing her like a quilt.

Shane didn't answer – his eyes searching her face. Finally, after what seemed like years to Mitchie, he spoke.

"To wish you a Happy New Year. It's tradition, after all."

_He came to say goodbye._

Tears sprung into Mitchie's eyes, and Shane wiped them away with his thumb.

"No, Mitchie. I really did. I missed you."

"I missed you too." She sobbed, falling into his arms.

They stayed like that for a long time, Shane stroking her hair and comforting her, Mitchie's sobs subsiding into small whimpers.

"I love you, Shane." She whispered into his jacket. At first Shane stiffened, but then he relaxed.

Gently he lifted Mitchie off his shirt, looking into her eyes.

"I love you too, Mitch. Happy New Year."

And that was when Mitchie knew it wasn't a dream – it was all so real.

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**I didn't want it to end badly – so sorry for the clichéness. I knew Sophie would prefer something happy! So have an AWESOME birthday Sophie – you deserve it!**


End file.
